Book Packaging: How to Post Books Without Bumped Corners

Good book packaging stops the one problem buyers complain about most: bumped, bent corners. A book is heavy for its size and has sharp edges, so it moves and dents easily if the packaging is loose. At Pack Solution we stock the boxes, envelopes and kraft paper that cover single paperbacks, hardbacks, sets and whole shelves of books when you move house.

We don't sell dedicated book wraps or book mailers. For slim books a Large Letter box does the same job, and for thicker titles a close-fitting box with paper round the book works just as well.

Quick Picks: Book Packaging for Posting

These three products cover most books you will send, from a slim paperback to a hardback.

Best for slim books at the Large Letter rate

Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes

Die cut cardboard boxes made 20mm deep, so a slim book can go as a Large Letter in a rigid box.

• C5 (229 x 159 x 20mm) takes an A5 book flat
• C4 (325 x 225 x 20mm) takes an A4 item flat
• Packs of 50, supplied flat

From £5.00 ex VAT (£6.00 inc VAT)

Choose sizeView product

Best for single hardbacks and small book orders

Single Wall Cardboard Boxes

Light corrugated boxes in a long run of sizes, so you can pick one that fits a book closely.

• 8 x 6 x 4" (203 x 152 x 102mm) up to 10 x 8 x 6" suit books
• Small Parcel size 450 x 350 x 160mm
• Minimum 5 per size, supplied flat

From £0.35 ex VAT (£0.42 inc VAT)

Choose sizeView product

Best for paperbacks too thick for a PIP box

White Bubble Padded Envelopes

Self-seal white envelopes with a bubble lining that cushions knocks.

• EP3 C/0 and EP4 D/1 suit paperbacks
• EP6 F/3 and EP7 G/4 suit hardbacks
• Boxes of 100

From £8.00 ex VAT (£9.60 inc VAT)

Choose sizeView product

• Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes are 20mm deep and come in packs of 50.
• The C5 PIP box is 229 x 159 x 20mm and holds an A5 book (148 x 210mm) flat.
• Single Wall Cardboard Boxes from 8 x 6 x 4" to 10 x 8 x 6" are listed for books.
• White Bubble Padded Envelopes run from EP1 (100 x 165mm) to EP10 (350 x 470mm), 100 per box.
• Double Wall Cardboard Boxes in 12 x 12 x 12" suit books when moving house.
• Kraft Paper Rolls come as a 500mm x 200m roll in 90gsm or two 70gsm centre-feed rolls.

Which Book Packaging Do You Need?

Choose by thickness first: 20mm or less goes in a Large Letter box, a thicker paperback in a padded envelope, and hardbacks or sets in a cardboard box.

Measure the book with its wrapping on, because a sheet of paper adds a millimetre or two. Then match it to the table. This is the quickest way to pick packaging for books without overpaying on postage or leaving the book loose.

Posting Slim Books as a Large Letter

A slim paperback that is 20mm thick or less, wrapping included, can go in a PIP box at the Large Letter rate, which costs less than a Small Parcel.

Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes are die cut cardboard boxes that arrive flat and fold together. The product page names the C5 and C4 sizes for books. C5 (229 x 159 x 20mm) takes an A5 book, which covers most novels in the smaller formats, poetry and children's paperbacks. C4 (325 x 225 x 20mm) takes A4 items such as workbooks, comics and thin annuals.

A cardboard box protects a book's corners much better than a plain envelope, because the walls take the knocks. If the book has room to slide along the box, wrap it in a sheet of kraft paper first so it sits snug. Our guide to Royal Mail PIP boxes covers the other three sizes and how to fold them.

These boxes do the job that many sellers expect book mailers to do. They come 50 to a pack and store flat, so a small bookseller can keep one or two sizes under the desk.

Cardboard Boxes for Books

Hardbacks, box sets and anything over 20mm thick need a cardboard box that fits closely, with paper filling any space.

The size matters more than anything else. A box that is too big lets the book slide, and the corners hit the walls every time the parcel is dropped. Good book shipping boxes leave a small margin for wrapping and nothing more.

Single Wall Book Shipping Boxes

Single Wall Cardboard Boxes are light corrugated boxes sold with a minimum of 5 per size. The product page lists 8 x 6 x 4" (203 x 152 x 102mm) to 10 x 8 x 6" (254 x 203 x 152mm) for books, and 12 x 9 x 4" (305 x 229 x 102mm) to 12 x 9 x 9" for A4 items that lie flat on the base. For a large order, the 450 x 350 x 160mm box matches the Royal Mail Small Parcel maximum size.

These cardboard boxes for books suit most single hardbacks and small bundles. Wrap each book in kraft paper, set it in the middle and fill the gaps on all sides.

Double Wall Book Packaging Boxes

Double Wall Cardboard Boxes have two layers of fluting, which makes the board stiffer and better for stacking. Choose them for heavy textbooks, collector's editions and sets, where a soft box could bow under the weight. The 12 x 9 x 6" (305 x 229 x 152mm) size takes A4 flat in the base, which suits a stack of large-format books.

Best for heavy textbooks, sets and moving

Double Wall Cardboard Boxes

Two layers of fluting make a stiffer box that stacks better under weight.

• 12 x 12 x 12" (305 x 305 x 305mm) suits books when moving
• 12 x 9 x 6" takes A4 flat in the base
• Sold per box, flat packed

From £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT)

Choose sizeView product

You can see every size in the boxes collection. Both ranges arrive flat and are sold per box, so you can mix sizes in one order.

Padded and Board Back Envelopes for Books

A padded envelope suits a paperback that is too thick for a PIP box but light enough not to need a box.

White Bubble Padded Envelopes have a bubble lining and a self-seal strip, so there is no tape to find. The product page suggests EP3 C/0 (150 x 215mm) and EP4 D/1 (180 x 265mm) for paperbacks, and EP6 F/3 (220 x 340mm) and EP7 G/4 (230 x 340mm) for hardbacks and magazines. They come 100 to a box.

An envelope bends more than a box, so it gives less protection to corners. Use it for paperbacks you would be happy to see arrive with soft edges, such as secondhand reading copies. For a new or collectable book, a box is safer.

For very thin items, such as a stapled booklet, a zine or a print sold with a book, Board Back Envelopes (Do Not Bend) keep the contents flat. They have a stiff board back and a printed Do Not Bend warning. C5 (229 x 162mm) takes an A5 item, and C4 (324 x 229mm) takes A4.

Best for very thin booklets and prints

Board Back Envelopes (Do Not Bend)

A stiff board back and a printed Do Not Bend warning keep flat items flat.

• C4 (324 x 229mm) and C5 (229 x 162mm), boxes of 125
• C6 (162 x 114mm), boxes of 250
• Printed Do Not Bend

From £12.00 ex VAT (£14.40 inc VAT)

Choose sizeView product

How to Pack a Book So the Corners Arrive Sharp

Wrap the book, cover the corners, fit it snug in a box and fill every gap so it cannot move.

1. Check the book is clean and dry, and slip in any loose dust jacket so it sits square.
2. Wrap the book in a sheet of kraft paper, folding it like a present.
3. Fold an extra square of paper over each corner, or add a scrunched pad at each end.
4. Pick the smallest box or envelope that takes the wrapped book.
5. Fill any gaps with scrunched kraft paper until the book does not move when you shake the box.
6. Close the box with tape across the centre seam and along both edges.
7. Stick the label flat on the largest face, away from seams.

Kraft Paper Rolls handle both jobs: wrapping each book and filling space. The 500mm x 200m standard roll is 90gsm, the heavier paper, and suits wrapping. The two 70gsm centre-feed rolls, 200mm x 250m and 375mm x 300m, sit in a dispenser box on the bench and are quick to tear for void fill.

Best for wrapping books and filling gaps

Kraft Paper Rolls

Strong brown paper that wraps each book and fills empty space so nothing shifts.

• Standard roll 500mm x 200m, 90gsm
• Centre-feed rolls 200mm x 250m and 375mm x 300m, 70gsm
• Sold by the roll

From £25.00 ex VAT (£30.00 inc VAT)

Choose sizeView product

Paper wrapped round the book acts as a simple stand-in for book wraps, and it costs very little per parcel. Read more about wrapping and void fill in the kraft paper guide.

Packaging for Books in the Post: Tips for Sellers

Keep a small, fixed set of sizes so every book order goes out fast and arrives the same way.

Most book sellers can cover nearly every order with one PIP box size, one padded envelope size, two box sizes and a roll of kraft paper. Write down which size fits which format on a note by the bench, so anyone packing knows straight away. If you sell other small items too, the guide to ecommerce packaging by business size shows how to plan stock as orders grow.

Weigh a packed sample of each format once, then reuse the figure when you buy postage. A heavy hardback can push a parcel into a higher weight band even when its size fits a lower one.

If you sell signed copies, prints or bookmarks alongside books, put small extras in a clear bag inside the box so they do not slide around. Our jewellery packaging guide covers posting very small items in the same Large Letter boxes.

Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday leave our Manchester warehouse the same working day, and Royal Mail Tracked 48 is free on every order with no minimum.

Packing Boxes for Books When Moving House

Use small, strong boxes for books when you move, because a large box full of books is too heavy to lift safely.

Books are one of the heaviest things in a house for their size. The double wall product page names 12 x 12 x 12" (305 x 305 x 305mm) as a size for books, and keeps the larger 18 x 18 x 18" and up for light, bulky items like bedding. Those make good book packing boxes: big enough to take a shelf section, small enough to carry.

Pack books flat or upright with spines against the side of the box, never with the spine facing up. Mix sizes so the box sits level, fill the top with scrunched paper and tape the base well. Choose double wall for heavy loads, since the stiffer board stands up better when boxes are stacked in a van.

These cardboard boxes for packing books also suit storage in a loft or garage, as long as the space stays dry. The moving boxes guide helps you work out how many boxes a whole house needs.

Book Packaging Checklist

• Measure the book with its wrapping before choosing packaging.
• Use a PIP box for books 20mm thick or less.
• Wrap every book in kraft paper and cover the corners.
• Choose the smallest box that fits the wrapped book.
• Fill all gaps so the book cannot slide.
• Use double wall boxes for heavy textbooks and sets.
• Keep moving boxes small and fill them to the top.
• Check current Large Letter limits with Royal Mail.

Stocking Up on Book Packaging

For most sellers, book packaging comes down to a Large Letter box for slim titles, a padded envelope for thicker paperbacks, a small box for hardbacks and a roll of kraft paper for wrapping. With those four, corners stay sharp and postage stays as low as each book allows. The boxes, envelopes and protection collections hold every size in this article.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best book packaging for posting a single paperback?

If the wrapped book is 20mm thick or less, a Royal Mail PIP Large Letter box is the tidiest choice. The C5 size is 229 x 159 x 20mm and takes an A5 book flat. Thicker paperbacks go in a white padded envelope, with EP3 C/0 or EP4 D/1 suiting most.

Do you sell book wraps or book mailers?

No. Pack Solution does not stock dedicated book wraps or book mailers. A PIP Large Letter box does the same job for slim books, and a close-fitting single wall box with kraft paper wrapped round the book covers thicker titles and hardbacks.

What size cardboard boxes for books should I buy?

Pick the smallest box that holds the book plus a layer of wrapping. Single Wall Cardboard Boxes from 8 x 6 x 4" (203 x 152 x 102mm) to 10 x 8 x 6" (254 x 203 x 152mm) suit most single books, and 12 x 9 x 4" takes A4 titles flat.

Which packing boxes for books are best when moving house?

Use small, strong boxes, because books get heavy fast. Double wall boxes in 12 x 12 x 12" (305 x 305 x 305mm) are the size the product page suggests for books. Fill each box to the top so it does not crush when stacked.

How do I stop book corners getting bumped in the post?

Wrap the book in kraft paper, fold extra paper over each corner, and choose a box only slightly larger than the book. Fill any gap with scrunched paper so the book cannot slide. Corners get damaged when a book moves inside its packaging.

Can I post a book as a Large Letter?

Yes, if the packed book is no more than 20mm thick and within the Large Letter size and weight limits. Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes are made 20mm deep for this. Check the current limits with Royal Mail before you post.

Shop for This Job

• Cardboard Boxes
• Envelopes
• Protective Packaging

Related Guides

• Ecommerce Packaging by Business Size: 10, 100 and 1,000 Orders a Day
• Jewellery Packaging for Posting: Boxes, Pouches and Padded Envelopes
• Large Letter Boxes: Sizes, Limits and What Fits
• Kraft Paper Rolls Wrapping Void Fill Moving
• Moving Boxes Guide Sizes Strength How Many

← All buying guides